Novel Marketing

In this episode we are going to talk about everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask … about Amazon Book Ads! And to help us with that is our special guest, Brian Berni … Show Notes * Brian is a former Vatican Secret Archives employee, and is now a bestselling author under multiple pen-names. He blogs for writers and self-publishers at AuthorsTech and is the co-founder of BookAds, an agency that helps authors advertise their books through AMS (which stands for Amazon Marketing Services) and BookBub Ads. Questions: * What are Amazon ads? * Similar to FB ads * Big difference … on Amazon people are primed to buy * Why are they so popular right now? * New updates have happened that shows Amazon believes in this program and they’ve given people better tools to work with * Walk us through the process of creating our first ad … * Advertising.amazon.com * What are some of the best practices when it comes to creating amazon ads? * Experiment, have a scientist mindset, you’re testing and discovering what works * Don’t limit yourself to too few keywords. Use lots! * Use auto targeting- improved lately. Try it. * What are realistic expectations on how well an ad will work? * Tough to answer, but we see trends. Fiction and nonfiction is difference. Non-fiction tends to do better. New books tend to do better * Start small. $2 or $3 per day. But run as many ads as you can with your budget * Four hundred to five hundred percent return is not unusual * What tools make advertising on Amazon easier? What do you use for keyword research, that sort of thing. * Words in reviews * Be creative with your keywords * KDP Rocket * What are some common mistakes you see authors makes on their ads? * The ads are NOT set and forget * At least 3 – 4 times per week, go in and check so you can adjust * They don’t use all the tools available * Experiment with them * They don’t have the fundamentals in place * Cover * Number of reviews, 10+ * 150 character book blurb * Negative keywords are key. * What other changes have you seen in book ads over the last year or so? * Getting more competitive, yes, but probably no more than 10% of indie authors are using Amazon ads * Consumers are starting to trust these ads, good time to dive in * Before we go, tell us about the Indie Author Summit. * Online event aimed at those who have never written or finished their novel. * Step by step from A – Z. * Where can our listeners find out more about you and what you do, Brian? AuthorsTech and at BookAds. Featured Patron * Lucia’s Renaissance    by Cl Peterson * “A Novel of 16th-century Italy, by C.L.R. Peterson.  “Heresy is fatal in late Renaissance Italy, so only a suicidal zealot would so much as whisper the name of Martin Luther. But after Luther’s ideas ignite a young girl’s faith, she must choose–abandon her beliefs or risk her life in the turbulent world of late sixteenth-century Italy.” Sponsor: * MyBookProgress is a powerful way to show off your book’s progress on your website keeping your readers more engaged....

In this episode we’re going to talk about press kits! But first, some exciting news. Novel Marketing is in Top 30 Marketing Podcasts You Must Subscribe and Listen to in 2018. What is a Press Kit? * Back in the day, it was a packet you mailed to journalists. * Then we faxed them. * Now they’re a page on your website specifically for media people who want to interview you. * It can also be PDF Why have a press kit? * Makes you easier to interview. * Makes your interviews go well. * Can help create more media opportunities * Makes your PR outreach more effective * Gets you in the media more. Who Looks for Press Kits? * Journalists (Magazine & Newspapers) * TV Producers * Radio Show Hosts * Bloggers * Podcasters * Teachers Where to Put Your Press Kit * On your website’s footer for sure. * Perhaps in your main nav, perhaps not. * Add a link in your about page. What the Press Kit Should Contain * High-Resolution Images (Logos, Headshots, Book Covers, etc.) * Can show a bit of your personality here as it’s going to be more than one shot * Extended Bio (Not your speaking bio) * Give the details here … * FAQ/Suggested Interview Questions * Show Topics * Press Contact Info & Contact Form * Your phone number * Google Voice Number voice.google.com * Social Media Links * Twitter is big for journalists * Awards * Recent Press Releases * Notable Press Mentions * Notable Speaking Appearances * Downloads (PDF Press Kit Download) * Books * Links to recent interviews Links: * Thomas’ Press Kit * Jim’s Press Kit * Thomas’ Interview on the Pastor Writer Podcast Sponsor: * This episode is brought to you by The Novel Marketing Five Year Plan to becoming a bestselling author … * Jim: We joke that this is the 5 Year Plan to becoming an overnight success. * Thomas: Most people look at what happens a few days or weeks before the big break out. We take a longer view… * Go to Novel Marketing dot com and click courses. * As always, our patrons get 50% off. Speaking of patrons. Featured Patron 7 Deadly Friendships by Mary DeMuth. We got our hands on a pre-release copy and my wife could not put it down. If you are wondering if your friends are crazy, or you keep attracting the wrong kind of people around you, you really should pre-order this book. Transcription Thomas: [00:00:05] Episode 157. Jim: [00:00:07] I’m James L. Rubart, but call me Jim. And as always, the co-pilot seat is being filled by Thomas Umstattd Jr. … author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, owner of author media and an unofficial historical scholar. Thomas: [00:00:22] What can I say … I love history although I don’t know if I consider myself to be a scholar. Jim: [00:00:26] He is a scholar folks I’m serious. He is a scholar … you ask him any question about history … well I guess you can only talk for about two hours on any subject, right? Thomas: [00:00:35] This is why I don’t have more friends … every topic ends up being, oh well, actually if you understand the historical background of this ...

In this episode we are going to talk about the six things reader’s want to see when they come to your website. It’s not enough to get readers to come to our websites, we want them to stay. So we have to give them what they’re looking for when they come. But what are those things? This podcast summarizes research done by the Codex Group about what readers want from author websites. Exclusive Content * 43% of respondents to the Codex Group Survey want exclusive online content. * This is an untapped goldmine. Provide special goodies exclusively on your site and watch your visits blast off. Give them fun stuff they would be willing to pay for. MP3’s, short stories, whole books. Go crazy. * Also, Google likes exclusive content so this gives you and SEO boost too. * Seth Godin gives more stuff away for free on his blog than most other authors. He also sells more books than most other authors. He gives stuff away on his blog only to his blog readers. * He has no “goodies” page. Your Speaking Schedule * 36% want speaking schedules, book signings, and appearances. * This is really true, particularly for guys. Posting your speaking schedule can also increase your appeal as a speaker. If event planners know you bring your own crowd they will be willing to pay you more. * And it increases your authority. * An easy way to keep a speaking schedule is with the MySpeakingEvents WordPress plugin.  Recommended Books * 36% want to see recommended books; “explainers,” or inside information about the book. * The extras … * This is also a great way to make a little extra money on the side since Amazon will give you a commission on any book sales you refer using their affiliate program. * Garr Reynolds does book recommendations well. He doesn’t just recommend a book, he explains the gist of the book visually. He also has a list of recommended books along the right side of his site. * What books inspired your books? * The MyBookTable plugin is a great way to create a bookstore of the books you recommend. Book News * 33% of respondents said they want weekly e-mail news bulletins with updates on tours, reviews, and books in progress. An easy way to keep your readers up to date on your book news is with the MyBookProgress WordPress Plugin. * Let your website visitors feel like they are on the “in crowd”; they get to know about stuff first and get special perks by visiting your website. * Here are some email tips: * 7 Reasons Why MailChimp is Better than Constant Contact for Author Newsletters * 3 Ways to Grow Your Author Newsletter * 8 Elements of Effective Author Newsletters Your Contact Information * Nothing is more frustrating for readers than to dig up an author’s website only to not be able to contact that author. Setup an email address just for getting reader feedback. The practice of corresponding with readers is centuries old. C.S. Lewis used to spend hours hand-writing responses to his readers’ letters. If he can do that, the least you can do is give people your email. * Amazing “mind reader” reveals his gift:

In this episode we are going to talk about the best things you can do with your Advanced Reader Copies of your book … Show Notes   What are ARCs? They’re not only for traditionally published authors … * Host a contest with KingSumo to give away 10 copies of the book. Use it to build your email list, I can help you with this. I have an unlimited license of the WordPress version of KingSumo. This should be good for several hundred new email subscribers. * Host a GoodReads Giveaway to Give Away 10 Copies This will cost a couple hundred dollars but it will help drive GoodReads reviews and get your book attention on GoodReads. * Send copies to high profile and relevant bloggers. You want to send them to Bloggers with an Alexa score lower than 1,000,000. The lower the better. You can find the Alexa score of a blog with this plugin. Query the blogger first on Twitter to see if they want a copy. https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo * Send them to Journalists * Ask Your Launch Team to Recommend Influencers Someone in my launch team sent out 20 copies of my book to journalists and this turned into 5 interviews and mentions. YouTube! * Send signed copies as personal thank you’s to launch team folks who go above and beyond the call of duty. A personal thank you can be a powerful thing. * Give a Signed Copy to Your Patrons Make an announcement that everyone who becomes a $10 Patron before the book comes out will get a signed copy of your book. Even if you have to buy it yourself, it’s still worth it. These people give you $120 a year. * Allow Pastors (If your book is a spiritual read)/Influencers to Request a Free Copy on Your Website Pastors and other influencers get free books in the mail every week that they never read. So instead of spamming those people, add a gravity form to your website where they can request that you send them a free copy. Then mention this form on your website.  On the form, require them to put the URL of their website so you can validate they are a real pastor of a real church and/or a true influencer. I can help you with the form. Featured Patron Driver Confessional (Affiliate Link) by David L. Winters A Christian ride-share driver lands in hot water with the Russian mob. Antonio and his cop brother must solve a murder before it’s too late. Sponsor: MyBookTable is a way to quickly and easily build an online bookstore on your WordPress website. Use it to rank #1 on Google for your book and to boost your book sales on sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Get it free at MyBookTable.com. Novel Marketing Patrons save 25% on MyBookTable Pro. www.mybooktable.com. Transcript Announcer: [00:00:01] This is Novel Marketing the show for novelists who aren’t necessarily fond of marketing but still want to become best selling authors. Thomas: [00:00:09] Episode 155 Jim: [00:00:11] I’m James L. Rubart. But you can call me Jim. Thomas: [00:00:14] I’m Thomas Umdstattd Jr. Jim: [00:00:16] And in this episode what we want to talk to you guys about is ARC’s  …advanced reader copies and how you can use those in a way that is going to get you more readers. Thomas: [00:00:28] And we want to talk about what is an arc. Maybe you haven’t heard of this or is that only something that traditionally published authors do … and it’s not.

In this episode, we are going to talk about how you as an author can use Fiverr (Affiliate Link) to sell more books and improve the quality of your books. Show Notes What is Fiverr? * A place where freelancers post jobs they can do for you, many of which are just $5. * Freelancers post gigs that they do with set prices, but you can also post a custom job and get custom gigs. It’s the pre-packaged gigs part that is so appealing to me about Fiverr. Why listen to me? * I first purchased a Caricature on Fiverr six years ago. * Purchased over $400 worth of services on Fiverr. * Turning a book cover into a 3d book cover. * Video animation. * Photoshop retouching. * Voice overs * Transcriptions * Translations * SEO keyword research. Why people post jobs on Fiverr. * To make quick money, work from home, get paid in US dollars and to fill in lolls in more lucrative freelancer work. What authors Use Fiverr For * Editing * Book Covers * Back Cover Copy * Type Setting * Transcription How to Use Fiverr * I realize spending money on fiverr can be intimidating. * Buy something fun first. * Be responsive and give as much information as possible. The fiverr person doesn’t know you and won’t likely do research. The more clear you are about what you want, the more likely you are to get it. * The cheapest people on fiverr are cheap for a reason. Sometimes, it is worth it to pay for quality. * Fivver creators with videos of their faces are more trustworthy and have a better command of english. * Beware of suspiciously beautiful female creators. * Read the reviews. * Be ok losing $5 here and there on projects that don’t work out. * Consider contacting the seller first. * Tip when you are happy, especially if you plan to come back. * You on Fiverr! Novel Marketing is on YouTube! * YouTube Link Featured Patron 95 Tweets: Celebrating Martin Luther in the 21st Century    (Affiliate Link) by Peter DeHaan 95 Tweets explains each of Luther’s ninety-five concerns and then updates them, reframed as ninety-five tweets, complete with hashtags. 95 Tweets concludes with a present-day list of ninety-five concerns for the modern church.” Sponsor: 5 Year Plan to Become a Bestselling Author This plan was crafted by Thomas & Jim to be step by step guide through the first five years of your writing career. Learn each quarter what to do to succeed and avoid the mistakes that hijack the success of most authors. Learn more at NovelMarketing.com/courses. Transcript Intro: [00:00:01] This is Novel Marketing, a show for novelists who aren’t necessarily fond of marketing but still want to become best selling authors. Thomas: [00:00:09] Episode 154. Jim: [00:00:11] I’m James L. Rubart. As always you can call me Jim. Thomas: [00:00:14] I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr. Jim: [00:00:16] And in this episode we’re going to talk to you guys about how you can use fiver to develop better books faster … while staying on a tight budget. Thomas: [00:00:25] And the reason we’re doing this episode is because our Facebook group which is really fun if you haven’t checked out the novel marketing Facebook group you really should. People are asking great questions there and they’re posting their success stories and it’s really fun to celebrate along with you as you are making your websites better...

In this episode, we talk about how to host a live video on Facebook to promote your next book launch. It is easy to look and sound amazing on Facebook Live! Show Notes   We’ve Learned a Lot the Hard Way! Thomas has been streaming live events since before Facebook live existed on LiveSteam and others. 12 hour stream at the Texas Capitol called Let Texas Speak. Streamed many other political events. Radio show was a Facebook live every day. So I have spent over a hundred hours in front of a live camera. Jim has done several successful Facebook live events and just got out of an epic launch party for the Novel Marketing Insiders. You can watch it on Facebook, and if you want to know about other live events, become an insider on Novel Marketing.com. Jim started his career on air at a radio station Seattle … no, not FB live, but being live on air. Learned a lot the hard way. Why Facebook Live? The algorithm favors it. Creates an emotional connection with readers Cheap & Easy Fun Viewers watch a live video three times longer than a regular video. Why Most Authors DON’T Go Live. Self-conscious about their appearance. Don’t look as young as you used to. Think it is super hard. It’s not! How to Look and Sound Amazing All of the following tips are 100% optional. Don’t let them keep you from going live. Wear solid colors. For the love of good about, hold the phone sideways. Use a tripod if you are using a phone. Put the phone higher than your face, to make you look thin, put the phone low to make you look fat. Get lights behind the camera. The more light behind the camera, the better you will look. Set a way for you to view comments live. The interaction is the most fun part for your viewers. Have a strong internet connection. Go to speedtest.net to test your internet. Ideally, you want an internet connection in the double digits. So at least 10mbps up and 10MBPS down. Your car is often a good place to go live. It has excellent sound proofing and visual interest. Just don’t do it while you are driving! Consider doing it with a friend … GoLightStream.com and BeLive.tv What to do Before You Go Live Outline what you are going to say. Announce to your friends and followers when you are going to go live. Email your list as well. Tell them when and where to find the live stream. This is a great way to convert email subscribers into Facebook likes. Consider asking for questions ahead of time. Consider creating a Facebook event that people can RSVP for. Recruit someone to help manage comments, preferably someone with admin powers to ban spammers or trolls. Write a magnetic title for your live stream that answers the question “Why should I tune in?” Practice: Create an empty Facebook page to practice in front of a small audience. You can also set the privacy settings to be “only me” During Open with a bang. Your audience for the first two minutes is people who watch after your live stream ends, so give a concince pitch for the whole session in those two minutes. Consider scripting out your opening word for word. Smile! Have fun! If you make a mistake … (WHEN you make a mistake.) Read listener comments and ask questions. Use their names, when you respond to them. Ask viewers to subscribe to “Live Notifications.” If you viewers click on the “Follow” button on live videos they will be notified the next time you go live. This is helpful if you plan to go live often. Ask your viewers to share the video. Viewers come and go on live video so there are a few takeaways: The longer you are live,

Writing more books helps you make more money. But most authors write slow! In this episode, we talk with Chris Fox about how to write faster and better. And to help us with that topic is our friend, Chris Fox. Chris Fox is an extremely successful author of both fiction and non-fiction, as well as being an excellent teacher … Chris, great to have you back on the show … Questions: Why is fast writing so important? How do authors write faster? Writing sprints- no interuptions. No editing, just writing. Twenty minutes. What’s the mindset of a fast writer? Walk us through your 5 step process: Step 1- Clear the Decks John Cleese https://genius.com/John-cleese-lecture-on-creativity-annotated Step 2- Know what you are going to write Step 3- Start the Clock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) Step 4- Record the Results Step 5- Learn from the work As writers try your method … what are the blocks they’re going to come up against? How much of a word count increase to you see on average? How long does it typically take before this new way of writing kicks in? What tools make it easier to write faster? Is it better for writers to try this on a piece they’re not as emotionally invested in? How can someone put this into practice today? Read How to Write 5,000 Words an Hour for free. Buy How to Write 5,000 Words an Hour on Amazon.   Sponsor: Book Launch Blueprint registration ends this week. If you would like help developing a custom book launch blueprint for your book, sign up now before it is too late. You only have 3 days left to register! Learn more Featured Patron Pathway of Peace: Living in a Growing Relationship with Christ by Cheryl Elton Pathway of Peace explores key areas of life that help cultivate enduring peace—including handling stress, quieting the mind, and forgiveness. Rich scriptural insights and inspiring stories will encourage and help you develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Transcript Generated Algorymeically by Sonix (Affiliate Link) [00:00:01] This is novel marketing a show for novelists who aren’t necessarily fond of marketing but still want to become a best selling author. [00:00:09] Episode 152 I’m James L. Rubart. [00:00:14] I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr. and I’m Chris Fox and in this episode we are going to talk once again to Chris Fox. As you probably just figured out Chris thanks for being back with us once more. You are quickly approaching. I think we’ve only had one other guest on three times is that right Thomas. Thomas Umstattd: [00:00:33] We’ve had Joanna Penn on three times we’ve had Lacey on three times now Chris Fox. So Lacey Williams who a pen and Chris Fox I feel like that’s a good group to be in. Chris Fox: [00:00:42] That’s distinguished comedy right there. James Rubart: [00:00:45] Is indeed indeed. And Chris is on you know he’s in the San Francisco area so he’s on Pacific Standard Time which is the time zone.

In this episode, we talk about how to write to market with Chris Fox. Chris Fox is an incredibly successful author of both fiction and nonfiction. He’s hit the trifecta: he’s succeeded at writing fiction, at teaching fiction and his students have gone on to succeed, some making over $50,000 a month. Sponsor: Book Launch Blueprint registration ends at the end of August. If you would like help developing a custom book launch blueprint for your book, sign up now before it is too late. Learn more at Novel Marketing dot com Questions: What does it mean to write to market? Why would authors want to write to market? What about the selling out question? What mistakes do authors make when writing to market? The key is to deliver a similar emotional experience Example: The Hunger Games and the Divergent series How do you write to market? What is a hot category? What is a hungry category? What about the switching genre question? How do we find out how popular a genre is? What are some quick tips? Why should people buy your book Write to Market?   Chris, where can people find out more about you? Chris Fox Writes   Featured Patron A Good Bunch of Men by Danny R. Smith “Danny R. Smith is a retired homicide detective from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.     “Dead prostitutes can seem like part of the landscape in South Los Angeles. What, then, could render two veteran homicide detectives speechless as they stand over their latest victim? A Good Bunch of Men will take you beyond the yellow tape and into the tormented minds of those who hunt evil.” Transcript Intro: This is novel marketing the show for novelists who aren’t necessarily fond of marketing but still want to become best selling authors. Thomas: Episode 151. Jim: I’m James L. Rubart, but you can call me Jim … Thomas: I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr, Chris: and and I’m Chris Fox. Jim: And in this episode we’re going to talk to you guys about how to write to market with, not surprisingly Chris Fox. Chris has been on before but if you haven’t caught that episode, briefly, Chris is an incredibly successful author of both fiction and nonfiction. He’s a teacher and he’s hit the trifecta. He’s succeeded in writing nonfiction. He’s succeeding at teaching fiction. He’s succeeded at writing nonfiction and a number of his students have gone on to massive success … wait for it. Fifty thousand dollars a month. Some of them are making that much. Chris welcome back to the program. Great to have you again. Chris: Hey thanks guys great to be here. Thomas:  I see the real measure is not if somebody has been successful but if they’ve been able to train other people to be successful and so we’re really excited to have you. But before we get to how to write to market I wanted to mention very quickly that it’s not too late if you want to sign up for the book launch blueprint’s which Jim and myself and Mary DeMuth. Registration does end at the end of August so you have about a week, give or take to sign up for that. And if you’re wanting to develop a book launch plan for your books that you can launch with a bang instead of with a sputter to come and take that course. You can find out more at novel marketing dot com. Jim:  Ok so Chris let’s dive right into this. First of all the phrase write to market … I think a lot of our listeners know what that means but I’m guessing ...

Your book is finished. Polished. Ready for the world to read. But then the questions enter your mind, yes, those questions … how do I launch my novel in the most impactful way possible?  How do I do it without feeling overwhelmed? And where do I find the time? We get it. They’re daunting questions. But we have a resource that will answer (almost) all of them: The Launch Your Book Blueprint is a 21-day course where we take you through the precise steps on how to put your book out into the world in a way that makes it sell, and sell, and sell. James Rubart, Mary DeMuth, and Thomas Umstattd (That’s me!

In this episode, we talk about a new course we’ve released that will help you launch your book in a way that will rocket it to success. Links: * Learn more about the Book Launch Blueprint * Sign Up Announcement This is our 150th episode! Some show stats: Novel Marketing started in October 2013. 270 Pages of Show Notes 52 hours 50 minutes of audio. (Not counting the 5 year plan course, or Patron exclusive episodes) 2.2 days of Audio. As of recording, the show has 168,876 downloads We only have 79 reviews on iTunes.  Median episode length is 20m 35s Assuming every download gets listened to, that is 3,377,520 minutes of you listening to Novel Marketing. 56,292 hours 2,345 days of listening to Novel Marketing. That is 6.4 years of listening. TL;DR: One of the most frequent questions we get is about how to launch your novel. Specifically, what do you do in the month before and after your book comes out. Mary gets that question a ton as well. Joining us in teaching the course is bestselling author Mary DeMuth. She has launched over 30 books both fiction and nonfiction and her books are currently in 5 different languages around the world. This is a 21-day course to help you craft a custom blueprint for launching your next book.   For everyone else who won’t get into the course, we’re going to have a quick overview. GET READY Day 1 – 5 This week is about laying the foundation for success. What marketing is, and how to sell yourself (even if you’re in introvert) Find your bigger why. How to develop your author brand and present it powerfully to readers Look  in the mirror Look at your readers Look through your readers Look in your readers mirror How to writing best-selling copy The key to writing bestselling copy, is to realize that people don’t care about you. How to build a rabid tribe of fans How create a launch team What is a launch team? Saturday BONUS session: How to keep consistency in your branding across all platforms GET SET Day 8 – 12 Learn the best email strategies for launching your book. We will talk about how to build your list if your book launch is a ways out. We will talk about how to email around your launch. Pro Tip: You can get away with a higher than normal sending rate during your launch. How to build a media calendar A media calendar is the foundation of a your PR campaign. It is a schedule of all your interviews, promotional activities and advertisements. Everything on one place, planned out ahead of time. The best ways to use Amazon If you are indie publishing your book, your amazon page is perhaps the most important page about your book on the internet. You want to make sure it is 100% ready for your launch before the launch. Amazing Cover Amazing Back Cover Copy Clearn “Also Boughts” Lots of reviews. (This is where your launch team comes in.) How to maximize the impact of your website Thomas will talk about how to prepare your website for the launch and synthesis all of his website advice into a focused session. How to write content that will get you guest slots on leading blogs and websites

In this episode, we talk about why and how to put your indie book up for pre-order. We also talk about when it would be a bad idea to put your book up for pre-order. Lacy Williams is a bestselling author of over 30 novels, amazing entrepreneur, mom, wife, and friend, Lacy Williams. She is also the author of the The Smart Indie Series. Questions: Part 1: Why Why is it a good idea to do pre-orders? Is it ever a bad idea to do a pre-order? How do pre-orders affect your book’s rank on Amazon? iBooks? Are pre-orders different between print and ebooks? How do Amazon pre-orders work financially? When do you get the money? Do you do anything special for readers who pre-order? If the book is the first in a series, would you ever do a pre-order of the entire series? And if so, would you give a discount?   Sponsor: MyBookTable is a way to quickly and easily build an online bookstore on your WordPress website. Use it to rank #1 on Google for your book and to boost your book sales on sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Get it free at MyBookTable.com. Novel Marketing Patrons save 25% on MyBookTable Pro. www.mybooktable.com. Part 2: How How far out should you start the pre-order promotion? How should authors price their pre-orders? When do you get paid with a pre-order? Walk us through the process of setting up a pre-order in Amazon KDP. How should authors promote their pre-order?   Featured Patron Releases October 2nd 2018. The Seven Deadly Friendships: How to Heal When Painful Relationships Eat Away at Your Joy by Mary DeMuth There’s something wrong with your friendship, but you can’t figure out why. Is everything in your head? Unfortunately, toxic friendships happen to everyone, but we seldom identify the underlying issues while we battle confusion or the friendship breaks up. Maybe you’re left bewildered in the friendship’s wake, paralyzed to move forward. After wading through several difficult friendships, Mary DeMuth reveals the seven different types of toxic relationships and empowers you to identify the messiest relationships causing you the greatest anguish.

In this episode, we talk with Lacy Williams about how to get libraries all over the country to buy your indie books.  One of the best markets available to sell your novels into is one of the most overlooked: Libraries. So today we’re going to talk about how to sell your books into that market in ways that can be highly profitable for you. And to help us with that, we have bestselling author of over 30 novels, an amazing entrepreneur, mom, wife, and friend, Lacy Williams .  Questions for Lacy: Why should indie authors want to be in libraries? What is Overdrive? Draft2Digital How does Overdrive work? Kobo Smashwords Go directly to them- more technological Once your book is in overdrive, how do you get libraries to order your book? Lacy’s Instructions What criteria do libraries look for in the authors they order from? WorldCat How do you maximize book sales from library checkouts? What kind of results have you seen from your own Overdrive promos?   Featured Patron You’re the Cream in My Coffee by Jennifer Lamont Leo In 1928, small-town woman Marjorie Corrigan thinks she sees her first love–believed killed in the Great War–alive and well in a Chicago train station. Although the stranger insists he’s not who she thinks he is, Marjorie becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. Carol Awards Winner, Grace Awards Winner, and Selah Awards Nominee. Sponsor: MyBookTable is a way to quickly and easily build an online bookstore on your WordPress website. Use it to rank #1 on Google for your book and to boost your book sales on sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Get it free at MyBookTable.com. Novel Marketing Patrons save 25% on MyBookTable Pro. www.mybooktable.com.

Announcements: We’re $4 away from hitting our next Patreon goal. With this level we will start providing full transcripts for each episode. We just need one person to back at the $5 level to push us over the edge. Just as a reminder, $5 Patrons receive: Warm feelings, knowing you’re keeping Thomas and James on the air Access to the Patron Only Community Discussion Monthly Resource Archive 20% discount on back cover copy writing. 25% discount on the MyBookTable Pro, MySpeakingEvents Pro, and MyBookProgress Pro, WordPress Plugins 50% discount on The Five Year Plan to Becoming a Bestselling Author 50% discount on The Tax & Business Guide for Authors Exclusive Monthly Q&A Episode. We answer every question. Special Monthly Episode Bundle where we package several popular episodes on a specific topic and give you private access. Ebook of your choice of one of James’ novels, Rooms, Book of Days, or The Chair Patreon.com/NovelMarketing. Intro: This idea comes out of the brilliant mind of one of my mentors, Roy Williams, back in 2001. He asked a group of us what we thought the best marketing book ever written was. There were myriad answers, but none of us picked the one Roy had in mind. So we’ll give you a second to think of the one you’d put on the list, before we reveal Roy’s pick. Ready? Drum roll, Thomas. Green Eggs and Ham. Yes, Dr. Suess. Immortal Sam I Am is one of the greatest marketing men ever. There’s two reasons why: * He markets his product to his potential buyer sixteen times before he gets a yes. Sixteen! The average salesperson asks twice. (And if you are selling a product—your book(s)—you are a salesperson whether you want to be one or not.) Sam knew the average sale is made when the customer is asked five times. To make this applicable to us authors, the average reader needs to hear about your book three to seven times before she or he will decide to buy it. *  They see a post on Facebook *  You list your novel on a book club site *  Their friends mention they’ve read it *  You write an article and mention your novel in your byline *  Someone sees a four- or five-star review on Amazon *  You tweet about it *  There’s a review on Goodreads *  They hear you on the radio *  You’re on someone’s blog talking about your novel Then—after three to seven exposures—they buy your book. * Sam knew that simply promoting the same way again and again wasn’t enough. That’s not marketing, that’s being a pain in the backside. The Key Sam came up with sixteen options, ideas, new ways of thinking about green eggs and ham. “Would you like them in a box? With a fox? In a house? With a mouse? In a train? In the rain? Here or there?” Cheesy sales trainers love to spout, “Ya gotta remember ABC! Always Be Closing!” But what does that mean? Hammer on people till they give in? Let us hope not. Some people on Facebook and Twitter and other Social Media think this is the way to promote their novels. They give the same message over and over, believing that will sell books. It doesn’t. It turns people off. If you’re going to market your books, get creative in the way you present them to potential buyers (and the way you promote yourself, because you are the brand). And promote with passion. It’s obvious Sam believes in his product. Do you believe that passionately in your novels? Attitudes are contagious—are yours worth catching? You want to sell more books? Be like Sam. Did you know a Random House editor bet Ted Geisel $50 he couldn’t write a book usi...

In this episode, we are going to talk about publishing scams and how to avoid them! This episode was inspired by the Author Media blog post by Caitlin Muir. Announcement: We have a Facebook Group now! New location for episode discussions. You can also ask questions of the group. What Makes Something a Scam Over Promising, Under Delivering Fraud Unlawful Unethical Price Rarely Effects if Something is a Scam Or Not (Scribe Writing vs Xlibris)   Common Scams Vanity Publishers (they make money whether you succeed or not.) And they be well known names: Reader’s Digest for example $8,500 .09 cents per word for editing … 90k = $8,100 Jim’s neighbor Fake Agents (legit agents are members of the Association of Author Representatives) There’s no way you’d get married without dating the person, and having an agent is a business marriage. So date first. Sometimes agents don’t know they’re a scam … Agents who charge for anything “Marketing Services” Blog Tours Social Media Packages PR Campaigns (Spending money to send a press release to 500 journalists is a waste of money) We’ll get you into bookstores! TV shows! On every podcast ever created! Pay to Enter Writing Contests Not always …   General Rules of Thumb Find a happy customer first. Ask in the Novel Marketing Facebook group. Ask for the numbers! If they say you can’t measure the effectiveness of their work, be careful. Ask for an average ROI Ask Lots of Questions Can you give me the names of some of the people on your sales team? What is the name of your last book to hit a best seller list? Where can I go and look at your work? Read the Fine Print Arbitration Clause (Who picks the arbitrator?) The more fine print, the more likely they are to be hiding something. Who owns your copyright after you sign? How easy is it to cut ties? Are you locked in? Look for financial incentive alignment. If you pay a lot of money up front, whether your book thrives or not, there is no financial incentive to see you succeed.   Warning Signs Flattery about your writing. No Money Back Guarantee They’ve never failed Reading Fee – Legitimate Publishing companies don’t charge to read your book. Up Front Publishing Fees – Traditional Publishing Companies shouldn’t be charging you for anything. A legit self publishing company should charge you as you go. If they are owned by Author Solutions, run. Pushy Sales Tactics Promising to Make You a Bestseller   Listing on Amazon.com (Scammers prey on the tech unsavvy. They ask you to pay them to list your book on Amazon. Many authors don’t realize that it only takes a few clicks of the mouse to be able to sell your book on Amazon.   Publishing Services Thomas’ Recommends   PR firm … Turning Point: http://www.turningpointpr.com/ CreateSpace IngramSpark Draft2Digital Amazon KDP

In this episode, we talk about how to craft a reader magnet to get more email subscribers. A reader magnet is a prize your readers get in exchange for giving you their email. They can dramatically improve how fast your email list grows. Back in episode 129, we talked about how Short Stories make the idea reader magnet for novelists. But we never talked about how to turn the short story into the lead magnet. Sponsor: MyBookTable is a way to quickly and easily build an online bookstore on your WordPress website. Use it to rank #1 on Google for your book and to boost your book sales on sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Get it free at MyBookTable.com. Novel Marketing Patrons save 25% on MyBookTable Pro. Introduction: What is a lead magnet? Why have one on your website? Example for this Episode: 34 Pages, a Beautiful Notes by Kayla Norris from Thomas’ Hawaii Talk. This is the lead magnet you will get as a thank you for becoming a Novel Marketing subscriber. Step 1 Figure Out What Your People Want Ask them Check your Analytics Listen to what they are asking you. Step 2 Write a Compelling Pitch for the Lead Magnet Title Blurb Full Page Pitch Step 3 Create a Compelling Graphic This needs to visually communicate the value of the lead magnet. Fiverr (Affiliate Link) Step 4 Pick the Delivery System Link to a Page On Your Website Link to a PDF/MP3 On Your Website Drip Sequence InstaFreebie ($20/mo) Kindle file and/or other ebooks Book Funnel ($20/yr) Kindle file and/or other ebooks Story Origin (free) Kindle file and/or other ebooks Step 5 Create the Lead Magnet Most lead magnets start off as Word Docs. But you never want to give away a word doc. You can make a PDF in Word. Tools for Making Ebook Files Vellum an amazing tool for Making platform specific ebook files. Mac only, pricy Calibre Free and hard to use Fiverr (Affiliate Link) – Have someone else do the work for you for $5. * Draft2Digital – Free eBook Creation Service Step 6 Add a The Sign Up to Your Website There are several ways to do this: Pop Up Annoying, but much more effective WAIT … give them 20 or 30 seconds Don’t let it pop up again and again and again for the same person Landing Page Blog Post Bloom (Affiliate Link) is currently my favorite tool for adding sign up forms to a website. It comes bundled with an Elegant Themes Subscription (Affiliate Link). Step 7 Promote the Lead Magnet Create a squeeze page Buy Ads Put it in your book (Jim) See Jim’s Landing Page Step 8 Measure Watch your analytics Watch your MailChimp numbers Bloom Featured Patron